Six people committed felony vandalism by painting green hands on the Riverside Historic Courthouse in a protest, the Riverside District Attorney claims. Four of the six pleaded not guilty in an Oct. 6 arraignment.
The defendant’s lawyers and the abortion-rights activist group Rise 4 Abortion Rights, which planned the protest against the overturn of Roe v. Wade, have not yet returned calls for comment.
The DA’s office says defendants painted green handprints July 30 and July 9, on the outside of Riverside’s Historic Courthouse. Cleaning the handprints from the July 30 protest cost more than $13,000, and cleaning from the July 9 protest cost more than $4,000, the DA’s office claims.
Rise 4 Abortion Rights claims the activists used removable children’s hobby paint.
“They’re being charged with felony vandalism and conspiracy charges — for kids’ paint that came off with water and chalk! These charges are excessive and outrageous!” they wrote.
Rise 4 Abortion Rights was protesting the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
District Attorney Mike Hestrin characterized the protest as violent.
“The public has a right to peacefully protest and express their political views,” Hestrin said in a press release. “As District Attorney, I am committed to protecting these rights guaranteed to us by our U.S. and California Constitutions. But when peaceful protesters turn violent or begin to vandalize and damage or destroy property, their actions can no longer be considered a peaceful protest,” he continued.
Alexander Castro, Alexandria Fite, Elise Kelder and Oliver Solares Herrera are accused of painting the handprints July 30. Aida Aston, Kamile Dincsoy and Fite are accused of painting handprints July 9.
Castro wrote on a GoFundMe site that the group didn’t do anything wrong “except exercise our right to peacefully assemble and our right to free speech.”
California law says anyone who maliciously defaces property not their own with a painted figure or mark is guilty of vandalism. If the amount of defacement is more than $400, the state can bring felony charges, or can bring punishment of a year in county jail or a maximum fine of $10,000.
A felony settlement conference for the defendants who pleaded not guilty is set for Jan. 12.
Case information
Deputy District Attorney Nikla Olson of the DA’s Felony Prosecution Team prosecutes.
Lisa Liu represents Castro. Andrea Bird represents Fite. Rachael Cianfrani represents Kelder. Dustin Offinga represents Solares Herrera. Dincsoy and Aston’s defense is not yet listed.
Case No. RIF2204992
